


The Unexpected Message

by Diana_Flynn



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-26
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 13:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/736187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Flynn/pseuds/Diana_Flynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the war has ended Katniss has a fight with Peeta, but she finds an a gift that changes her perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unexpected Message

“Damn it Peeta why do you have to say everything is going to be okay all the time. How about if it’s not going to be okay. It’s not like we don't have plenty of evidence how bad it can get.” 

“What are you talking about? Haven’t things been good for years? Why do you have to be so damn negative. We can’t always be living in fear of the future. We have so much to look forward to right now.” Peeta says almost pleading with me, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Peeta and I have been fighting for a good half hour now. I’ve been on edge since the rain started pouring five days ago making our large Victor Village home feel like a small cage since I haven’t been able to go outside. This doesn’t help the darkness that has increasingly threatened to take over me because all those who I have lost are haunting my dreams again. Peeta saw this coming and wanted to cheer me up by taking the day off and setting up a picnic in the living room, but I found his cheeriness grating and he couldn’t draw me out of my bad mood. Being careful with me for the last few days has finally taken a toll on him as well and now we are in a knockout fight. 

“Well I can’t see hope right now. I can’t see it in anything and I’m tired of your god damn sunny personality all the time trying to force the contrary on me.” Peeta flinches like I slapped him on the face. I’m at the point where I just need to push him away and I know I’ve succeeded. He clenches his jaw and his hands tighten in fists in a tell tale sign that he is fighting a tracker jacker venom attack I have unintentionally spurred on.

“Well I will take my ‘sunny personality’ to the bakery where I can do some good. Call me if you want me home, otherwise I’ll spend the night there.” With that he grabs his jacket and is out the back door into the pouring rain. 

I plop down heavily on the couch as tears start streaking down my eyes. I’m tired of my constant swing of emotions, and now I regret all the things I’ve said. I still don’t know what he see’s in me. So often I feel like the mutt he had called me so many times after his rescue. I’m waiting for him to see the mutt in me again and know it’s the truth. 

I sit on the couch for a while just staring at the rain plopping on the window sill and even though I feel guilty about what I said to Peeta I still don’t see how things can get better. Our government is stable right now but I am afraid of the darkness in people, how any moment our future can change on us. After an hour I decide that I should at least get up and try to clean the house for the millionth time to give myself something to do. I make my way towards the basement since it’s the only place I haven't touched. I switch the light on and carefully take the stairs, gripping the railing to make sure I don’t fall. When I get down there I realize we’ve just been throwing everything haphazardly down there without any organization. There are dresses peeping out of boxes from my Victory tour days, old easels, paints, and gifts our fans have sent us throughout the years that I haven’t even looked at. 

As I start pushing things around scanning to see what I should go through first I see an old box from my mother I never opened. On the inside of the box is a note from my mother, “Since you are staying in District 12 and you’ve worked so hard on it with Peeta I thought that you should have this. I miss you and love you. Please call me when you can. - Mom.” I pull out a rectangular object wrapped in newspaper and when I open it I find the family plant book. I haven’t thought about it in years and I didn’t want to ask for it from mom because I thought she would want to keep something from our family. I should have known this would be another thing too painful for her to keep. 

I heave myself on a stool and start thumbing through the pages. For the first time in months good memories flood my brain as I look at the notes and drawings from my mother and father reminding me of when we were all happy together, the big smile my mother would have on her face when my father brought home a new plant for her to catalogue. As I flip the pages I get to the notes and drawings that Peeta and I worked on together. His drawings are much more exact and perfect than my mothers hand. It’s strange but we did this during one of our most tumultous times but all I can remember is feeling safe and happy with Peeta as we worked together. 

When I reach the end I gasp as I find delicate handwriting that is not my own, but one I will never forget. It’s Prim’s handwriting. Peeta’s drawings are the same so it looks like she collaborated with him on additions to the book. The last plant entry is the most perfect rendering of a katniss flower I have ever seen. There is a already a drawing of a Katniss flower inside the book with a description of it’s properties but this one Peeta drew is so perfect it almost looks like a photograph. He obviously took much more time with it than any of the other plants he drew in there. Under it written in his tight handwriting is, "A katniss flower; a symbol of courage, beauty and loyalty." I scan the page next to it and there are no drawings but a message from Prim to me. 

“Hi Katniss, You are off fighting in the war right now and I am so scared for you but working on this book makes me feel closer to you so I thought this was the best place to write a message to you. 

I know it’s hard to find hope right now when things seem so dark and it’s hard to hear in words that things are going to be okay so I thought I would write it in here for you to read instead, a physical proof of how things can be good. When our father died, so did the smile on your face I loved so much. I never thought I would see a genuine smile again from you until I saw Peeta and you working on this book. I know you don’t want to hear it but I knew then that you loved him, because he made you smile the way only our father ever did. And when Peeta was taken away from you, you lost not only that smile but your fight as well. 

As part of Peeta’s therapy I decided it was a good idea to work on this book with him, and try in a subtle way to bring back the good memories he has of you. Just by that rendering of the Katniss plant alone and what he wrote underneath it I know it is working. He loves you so much, I can tell that he is fighting hard to come back to you. Everyone is worried that he was sent off to fight in your regiment but I know that only good can come from the two of you being together. I hope that the two of you come back safe and sound and that one day you will read this book and see the proof of how things can be good. I love you so much Katniss and I am thankful everyday I have a sister like you in my life. -Prim”

I’m crying so hard when I’m done reading her message I threaten to mess up her beautiful words with my tears. I close the book and just hug it as I sit there for the longest time sobbing but grateful at this gift I have been given; for a moment my sister was back with me. When I finally pull myself together I feel better than I’ve had in months. I realize Prim was right, I am so busy living in fear that I have missed the proof right in front of me saying things can be good again. I have been neglecting to see Peeta and his long lasting love for me despite everything. He has fought so hard to love me again and I am just throwing it away. I know I have to talk to him now, to let him know how much he means to me. 

I haul myself up the basement stairs and dial the bakery phone but there is no answer on the other side. I start getting anxious as I realize he will not be home tonight if I can’t get a hold of him. It’s still pouring outside but I know it’s worth the risk venturing out. I open the book, take a pencil and careful make an entry into it before throwing on my coat and boots, tuck the book safely to my chest, and make my way to the bakery. 

Rivers of mud are sliding down the path towards the village and I slip several times trying to make my way. If Peeta saw me he would have a heart attack. I finally get to the bakery and I circle around to the back entrance only to see him chopping wood out in the rain. He’s not wearing his jacket and his shirt is soaked through, showing how his muscles ripple with every axe stroke. I know chopping wood is his aggression outlet and my heart clenches at the knowledge I drove him to do this during a storm. 

“Peeta!” I yell out trying to get his attention, but he doesn’t miss a beat. It’s difficult to be heard over the chopping wood, howling winds and the splatter of raindrops. I get closer and try again, yelling as hard as I can, “Peeta!”

His arms stop mid-stroke and he turns around with startled eyes to see me standing there. He drops his axe immediately and strides quickly towards me.

“Katniss what are you doing here? You shouldn’t have left the house, it’s too dangerous out here for you and the baby!” he says, concern etched in his face as he takes my hand and leads me to the bakery. 

Once we are in the entryway he immediately takes off my jacket, pulls a blanket from the storage closet and wraps it around me; rubbing my arms to warm me up. The entire time I am still clutching the book and my teeth have started chattering from the cold. Peeta on the other hand looks like the rain didn’t even effect him at all as steam starts to rise up from his warm muscles. 

“You wouldn’t answer the phone Peeta and I was afraid you weren’t going to come home tonight.” Peeta’s face blushes with shame as he walks away from me and moves to work on some dough rising on the counter. 

“I’m sorry Katniss. I sent Vick out on some deliveries and Posy has been doing inventory in the storage room otherwise one of us would have answered it. And it was also an empty threat. I would never leave you alone with the baby so close to term,” he says not looking at me as he starts to knead the dough. 

I walk up to his side and pull one of his hands out of the dough so I can interlace our fingers together and force him to look at me. “Come on I want to show you something,” I say leading him to the ratty couch in the corner. I sit him down and wrap my blanket around both our shoulders so we can share in the warmth. I lean my head on his shoulder and put the book on his lap. He lifts it up and his eyes pop in recognition. 

“Is this the plant book?” he asks. 

“Yes, I found it in the basement when I attempted to clean it today.” He gives me a stern look at my admitting to exerting myself down there but I wave him off. “Open it to the end.”

He flips the pages and I can see in his expression he is remembering when we worked on it together, just like I was earlier. He gets to the end and finds Prim’s note and starts to read it. Soon tears are slipping from his eyes before he reaches the end. 

He turns to me, and his eyes are a stunning blue from the tears swimming in them. “Oh Katniss I’m so so...”

“No,” I say putting my hand to his lips before I hear an apology. “Turn the page.” He flips to the next page where there is a new entry. On it is a not very well drawn dandelion drawn with my hand with words written below it: “A peeta flower, A symbol of hope, love, & how things can be good again.” He looks at me, his face breaking into a smile

“I feel like I have gotten a gift today. I never thought I would hear from my sister again, and here she is in this booking telling me she loves me and everything is going to be alright." I can't help but start to cry again and Peeta gently wipes my tears with his thumb. "She was right Peeta," I say cupping his hand on my face. "No matter what happens things will be okay because I have you in my life, and I have our baby. I love you so much." 

Peeta's smile becomes wider than I've ever seen it and he bends down to give me a deep kiss. It's been a long time since we've touched each other in that way and soon it becomes deeper as our passion increases tenfold and his tongue dips into my mouth. We lose all sense of time as we are lost in each other before we hear the door slam in the back and we break apart like teenagers.

"Ummm, Peeta, I'm back from deliveries. What else do you need?" Vick says, his face red and he can't quite look at us.

"Just finish the prep work for tomorrow and I will be taking my wife home. I won't be in tomorrow either but let me know if you need anything. Please tell Posy as well." Vick nods his head in assention before going to the front. 

"Shall we continue this at home Mrs. Mellark? There is a picnic we never had." Peeta says getting up from the couch and pulling my heavy body up. 

"Yes, definitely Mr. Mellark" I say kissing the tip of his nose. 

He bundles me up tighter than I was before, fussing over me to my great frustration and we make our way back to the house. Peeta holds tightly to me the entire time to make sure I don't slip. When we get back I start re-warming the food and Peeta starts a fire in the living room and lights several candles until there is a warm glow throughout. He has set a heap of pillows on the floor so I am comfortable and helps ease me down onto them.

I snuggle in the pillows listening to the fire crackle as I hear Peeta finish up food preparations. He then carries the meal over and with it the plant book which he puts on my lap. "Open it," he says. I flip to the last page and there under the Katniss flower is more words from Peeta. Beautiful words declaring why and how much he loves me. I give him a long kiss I hope conveys how much those words mean to me.

After finishing up the decadent meal Peeta made, I am leaning against his chest eating fudge he had made while he just rests his chin on my shoulder rubbing my swollen belly softly. I reach over and pop a piece of fudge in his mouth but he catches my finger and starts sucking on it, making me moan and heat shoot straight down to my groin. I turn to my side so that I can lift my head and catch his mouth in a kiss. His mouth is sweet from the fudge, as I'm sure mine is and the passion we felt in the bakery grows again, and is soon out of control. We are a mess of limbs as we undress each other and Peeta is soon dipping his fingers in me to make sure I'm ready for him. "Peeta please," I moan as he sucks on my collarbone. He lies me on my side and pushes one of his legs between my own to open my thighs before inserting in me from behind. We both moan at the union that has been too long and he rocks gently in and out of me while circling my clit before we both reach orgasm almost at the same time. Afterwards we just lie there, Peeta's arm around me, hand splayed on my belly as we stare at the fire. I'm exhausted from all the exertion from the day and relaxed for the first time in ages, away from the fears that have plagued my pregnancy so it is no surprise that I am soon in a deep sleep. 

That night I dream of Prim and she is holding a baby with black hair and blue eyes the color of Peeta’s. "Here is your little girl Katniss. She will be with you soon. I know you will love her and take care of her the way you did me. Share the book and all the love that it contains with her and the son you will have in a few years." We hug each other tightly with the baby between us before they both fade away. I wake up encased in my husband's arms feeling lighter than I have since I was a child. I silently swear I will keep my promise to Prim as I look up at Peeta's peaceful face. Not only will the book grow in knowledge of plants but it will contain notes of love I have for my husband and future children. And one day my children will do the same.

**Author's Note:**

> I missed the Prompts in Panem Challenge for this. Damn Pacific Coast time. 
> 
> I will have another update for The Kitty Ranch next week once the Prompt challenges are over.


End file.
